Protective device for bumpers and bumper guards



A g- 1952 F. E. ROBERT" PROTECTIVE DEVICE FOR BUMPERS AND BUMPER GUARDS Filed Dec. 31 1949 INVENTOR.

Threntflfioeri,

Patented Aug. 26, 1952 PROTECTIVE DEVICE FORBUMPERS AND.

l BUMPER GUARDS Florent 13. Robert, Chicago, Iii.

Application December 31, 1949. Serial No. 136,255

. y l 4 K The present invention relates to anovel bumper and bumper guard attachment providing a protective device adapted to contactuthe road surface and-prevent" the depending forward I ends of the bumpers or bumper guards from scraping or digging into the road surface. w i

In modern designs of. automobiles,considerable emphasis is placed on mounting the chassis and body low'whereby there is but little clearance between thebody and the road, and with the body extending forwardly. of and rearward from the wheels at considerable distance and thereat provided with bumpers having vertical projections or bumper guards, it happens that when the automobile is driven across a depression or up ordown'an incline that the projectingends ofthe bumper. guards or projections at either the front or rearxbf the automobile :may strike the road surface or pavement; As these guards or projections arerigidly mounted on the bumpers and the latteriurigidly mounted on the chassis, shouldione'of'ithem scrape or engage thearoad. surface when the-automobile is in motion, it will be readily appreciated that damage. to the bumper, guard or bumper will result, and such engagement might even cause the operator to lose control with resulting damage to the automobile and perhaps injury to the, occupants. i It is therefore, an.important object of the present invention to provide the bumper. guards ordepending portions of the bumpers .with rollers or rolling surfaces whichicontact or engage the road surface and lift the vehicle chassis, whereby to prevent the bumper or bumper guard from scraping or digging into the incline when'the auto mobile istravelling in a forward or reverse directio'n. i

The present invention is applicable to the forward depending ends of bumper guards mounted at spaced locations on the front and rear bump ers, as well as to the lowerends of depending projections which-may be formed, integral with the bumper, whereby to protect thebumper and bumper guards. against scraping or. digging into the road surface.

Further objects are to provide a construction of'liiaxir'num simplicity, efliciency, economy and ease 'ofiassembly and operation, and such furtlfier objectsfiadvantages and capabilities as will later mote fully, appear and are inherently possessed thereby.

.The invention further residesin the construction, combination and arrangement of parts il1ustrated in the accompanying drawings, and while there is shown therein a preferred embodiment,

'3 Claims, (01. 293-437) i i 2 it is to be understood that thesame is susceptible of modification and change, and comprehends other details, arrangements of parts, features and constructions without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawing: Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of rent model or style of automobile in which the bumper is provided with depending ends and intermediate bumper guards each equipped with the present invention of protecting device. 1

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view of the front of an automobile in which the depending forward ends of the front bumper guards are in contact with an upwardly inclined surface of the roadway. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view of the rear of the automobile in which the'depending ends of the rear bumper or bumper guards are in contact with a downwardly inclined surface of the roadbed.

v i Fig. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged view in 'ver I tical cross-section through the dependingend of the bumper guard and taken in a resented by the line 4-4 of Fig.1.

Fig.5 is a view in perspective of the front of the bumper guard provided with the novel pro tective device. 1 i

Fig. 6 is an enlarged view in vertical crosssection through the depending end of thebumper plane rep-- takenin a plane represented by theline 6-6 of Fig. 1 but showing. an alternate form of ball retainer. I

Referring to the disclosure in the drawing and more particularly to the novel illustrative embodiment, there'is disclosed an automobile l of modern design having a front bumper 2 and 'a rear bumper 3' each spaced a substantial distance from the wheels 4; The illustrative form of bumper shown in Fig. 1 is provided at its 0p-' posite endswith a depending projection 5and intermediate these ends with a pair of i spaced uprights or bumper guards 6 fixedly mounted upon the bumper and each having its lower end 1 depending below and forwardly of the lower edge of the bumper.

As the body of the automobile and thelbumpers 3 and 2 and bumper guards 6 are disposed rather low at thefront and rear of the automobilaif the automobile is driven across a gutter or gulley oryup ordown a relatively sharp incline where the road surface inclines sufficient to forman angle greater than the'angle normally formed; betweenthe depending endsofthe bumpers or:

a cur-- l ends of the bumper will scrape or strike the road surface or pavement. Even if the automobile is being driven at a relatively slow speed, this scraping or engagement may be sufiicient to cause damage or bucking of the guards and sometimes the entire bumper is bent. Of course, if the automobile is travelling at a faster rate of speed, such scraping or digging into the road surface could cause the operator to lose control of the automobile with theresultin'g damage to the automobile and possibly injury to the occupants.

To obviate any danger of such scraping or engagement with the road surface, the .present invention provides for a protective device having a free rolling surface at the extreme ends of the depending projections where such -ends would engage the road surface. It comprises providing an opening 8 in the depending forwardly extending ends or projections of the front bumper 2 and at the depending rearwardly extending ends of the rear bumper 3 and in the similarly disposed depending ends 'I of the bumper guards-6, and positioning afree rclling ball or sphericalroller 9 therein. This ball or spherical member may be of metal or other material suitable for the purpose and is retained in-operative position therein with a portion of the surface of this ball or roller projecting through and beyondthe confines of the opening 8. This opening is preferably of such size that approximately one-third the spherical surface of the ball or sphericalroller:extends through the opening and'to the exterior thereof.

To maintain this ballor spherical membe'r in its operative position within the bumper or bumper guard, there is provided a retainer -I| securely anchored and retained'in place in the bumper guard orbumper by screws-or other fastening means 12, andprovid'ed with a slot 13 in its spherical or arcuate surface I4 through which projects a spring or spring-presseddetent l5f'or holding the spherical orrolling member against rattling.

Fig. 6 discloses a 'similarb'allor spherical roller but a modified form of ball retainer l6 secured in position in the bumper or bumper guard 'by means of screws or other fastening means ll. The ballor'spheri'cal member 9 is spring-pressed to its outer or extended position by means of a p'lungeraor detent l8 against which seats an *expansion 'or'coil :spring l9 held between the detent and an adjusting screw 2| adjustably mounted in the :threaded end of a bore 22in the retainer 16. :By this construction, the spring pressure applied to the ball or roller may'be' adjusted, as required, to preventit from rattling.

Thepresent-invention is adapted for mounting on the projecting ends of either a bumper or a bumper guardand when assembled provides a free rolling spherical surface which contacts Orabuts'the road surface whenever the forward or rear end of the car is tilted-or inclined at an angle with respect to the road surface suificient to'cause the bumper or bumper guards to contact therewith were they not equipped with the present protective device.

Having thus idisclosedthe invention, .1 claim:

"1. A device "for preventing the depending :projections of the bumpers and "bumper guards of an autom'obile from scraping or 'diggingint'oan inclined "surface of a roadway, comprising a spherical member mounted for free rotationin an aperture opening do'wnwardly in the lower end of a projection depending below the body of the bumper and upon contact with the roadway said member lifts the chassis of the automobile, said aperture being of a size suflicient to allow a portion only of said member to project downwardly therethrough and beyond the lower end of the projection but less than the diameter of said member whereby to prevent the latter from becomingdisengagedand a-cupped' retainer in the projection'for maintaining'thespherical member in operative position and provided with tension means for retaining said member under tension. I

2. A protective device for the depending ends of the bumpers or bumper guards of a power driven vehicle for preventing these ends which extend below the remainder of the bumpers or bumper guards from engaging the surface of the road when the vehicle passes over an inclination or depression, comprising a spherical and freely "rotatable r oller disposed-inthe lower and forward depending end with a portion oi the spherical surface of 'the roller projecting down wardly through an opening -'in and beyond the depending end whereby said roller is :in'aposition to engage theiroad surface 'whe'n- 'thevehicle passes over an inclination'of 'such 'angularity as would normally cause 'said dependingend to engage theroad surface andu'pon'contact with'the road surface said ro1ler lifts the chassis of the vehicle, and retaining means within the-depending 'end urging the roller into and apartially through the opening :and retaining the rolic! under tension.

3. In combination "with the depending :portion of a bumper for a .power driven vehicle forzpreventing this depending portion from digging into or scraping against the inclined surface "of a road or driveway when the vehicleipasses thereover, a spherical member mounted for-free rotation in an opening in the lower edge of the depending portion with a portion 'ofsaid member projecting downwardly and beneath 'the lower end of said depending portion for engaging the road surface only whenthe vehicle -is propel-led over a relatively steep incline'and thereby prevent the lower end of said -'depending rportion from contacting and digging'into 01' scraping against the road surface :and :prevent tlama'ge to the bumper or vehicleor cause the "operator to lose control of the vehicle, and "retaining means within'said depending portion 'for hold in'g said member for rotation within said"-open'ing but sufficiently rigid so that when said "member contacts the roadsu'rface =it lifts the chassis of the vehicle andipreventscontact-of the depending portion and damage to the bumper and va. hi'cle.

E. ROBERT.

REFERENCES CITED file of this patent} UNITED STATES PATENTS Morris sinuses- 4 e. :May- :23, 1950 

